Our religion not only holds a specials place for deities but also other living beings like plants and animals are revered with much respect and love.
Vedas call it Ashvatta – the shade that provides rest for the divine horse, Tamils call it the Arasa Maram – the king of trees. Bhagvat Gita calls the tree as the manifestation of Krishna. Atharvana Veda book 5 calls the tree the amrita [elixir] of the world. Siddhartha Gautama [founder of Buddhism] meditated under the tree and became the Buddha.
But did you know there is a scientific aspect to the importance of peepal in Hinduism gives it a special place? Here is the few scientific importance of Peepal tree.
Ayurvedic Significance:
Ayurveda is an ancient practice of medicine in India. The bark of the Peepal tree is used to yield tannin whereas its leaves, when heated, are quite useful in treating wounds.
Largest Oxygen Provider
Peepal is considered to be the largest oxygen provider, along with Neem and Tulsi. It is widely known at several places that these trees release oxygen even at night. They can uptake carbon dio-oxide during the night as well.
Circumambulation
Peepal alone exhales maximum ozone (O3) during the sunshine. The absorption of ozone helps female fertility. The walking around makes lung do work to take in more and more fresh air that strengthens the uterus, fallopian tubes to receive sperm are also absorbed.It is said that a new moon day helps absorb more o3 than other days due to gravitational forces.
Anti- Bacterial Property
According to researchers, the interacting flow of wind as well as the sound of peepal leaves, kills infection bacteria slowly, providing it the antibacterial property.
Curing Speech Irregularity
It is believed that if you lick honey placed on a peepal leaf, cures one’s speech irregularities.
The significance of planting Peepal outside the downtown of any city
(i) The roots spread and far & wide and are injurious to buildings. They suck away water from plants that fix nitrogen with photosynthesis as food.
(ii) The people who move from village to village need shade on the road side to take some rest.
The spiritual and Scientific Connection
The Peepal tree is associated with Yama, the god of death and the tree is often planted outside the village near crematoriums.The Peepal tree does not let a blade of grass grow under it signifying its nature for not allowing any rebirth and renewal. While Peepal offers shade from the sun, it offers no food thus not included in fertility ceremonies like marriage and childbirth where food-giving, rapidly renewing, plants with short lifespan such as Banana, Mango, Coconut, Betel, Rice and even grass, are included.
Thus, it emerges that in Indian thought, there are two types of sacredness – one that is associated with impermanent material reality and the other which is associated with permanent spiritual reality. The Banana and the Coconut fit into the previous category; the Peepal fits into the latter. Banana is the symbol of the flesh, constantly dying and renewing itself. Peepal is the soul – never dying, never renewing itself.
How many of us knew the importance of the tree? Now more of these facts. Feel free to leave comments.
Source: Quora
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